Car makers give Apple, Google a sliver of access to dashboards

While Apple Inc. and Google Inc. are beginning to apply their smartphone app technology to vehicle dashboard systems, car makers are hesitant to give them control of the screen since they aren't certain how valuable data from passengers and drivers will become, The Wall Street Journal reported.

German luxury car maker BMW is one of many vehicle companies on board with the iOS and Android app technology integration, but operates its own in-car communications system called BMW Connected Drive. The technology uses a mobile phone card to establish an Internet connection without needing a smartphone or apps like navigation or restaurant searches, according to the article. BMW is in talks with Apple and Google over attaching their smartphones to its Connected Drive system, giving car owners access to their music and other files.

Car makers are also concerned over maintaining control of their vehicle’s network for revenue and branding reasons. For example, General Motors Co.’s OnStar system generates about $1.5 billion in revenue per year.